


Night and Day

by NickkiDK



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, I don't know this is my first fic, Post Movie, this takes place directly after the movie like right after
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-11-19 06:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11307204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NickkiDK/pseuds/NickkiDK
Summary: Night and Day. The sun and the moon... that's what they were, he thought as he looked up at the moon.He was the dark night sky, the lonely moon always chasing after that precious, unattainable light. Never quite reaching her before she vanished from his sight, only to repeat the process in an eternal loop.Yeah, he could definitely relate to that he mused, but there was those magical moments, when day met night, vibrant pink melting into rich cobalt, that stupidly gave that old moon hope enough to wait for her til morning, only to be forced away upon seeing her full shining brilliance return. He was the dark after all, she was the light. They could never be together… so why keep up this eternal charade?Branch looked up at the moon with pain and understanding. “We're both fools.” he scoffed.They could never be together.. right? The sun and the moon? Yet one simple fact remained: One could not exist without the other.Branch rolled his eyes.Where’s my stupid poetry journal when I need it.





	1. Smidge's workout

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Trolls fans, this is my first ever fic and honestly I don't really write ever so I'm not sure how this holds up, grammer is my enemy and words aren't good friends of mine either but here goes nothing.

Giggling.

Yes, Branch was sure "giggling" was the appropriate word to describe the loud strange hiccup like laughs currently escaping his mouth. It's not that he'd never heard a giggle before, knowing Poppy all his life made that an impossibility. This, however, was the first time he could remember hearing himself do it. This felt foreign to him. Absurd even. But he just couldn't help it...nor did he seem to care. From high up on their elevated mushroom platform, Branch now gripped his sides as the laughter overtook him, transferring a giddy energy to his rhythmic feet as they watched their weird new moment-ruining cloud friend plummet to a fate unknown, the product of being tandem high fived out of the sky by the two trolls.

_He’ll be fine. He’s a cloud after all._

“I still don’t get the whole socks with no shoes thing.” He smirked. Poppy looked at him quizzically, and then down in the direction the cloud guy fell, genuinely pondering the statement for a moment. “Well, if you’re up in the sky most of the time… Why would you need shoes?“ she quipped with a smirk. A quiet “Huh.” was all he could muster, a tad baffled by the unexpected logic in the joke, to which he really had no argument for. “I guess when you put it like that...” he mused, cracking a half smile. With a comforting new sense of relief and contentment, he allowed a few more precious chuckles with the newly crowned queen. What was the harm anyway? Unless Smidge dropped them of course... _Naw, this is probably just another day at the gym for her._ He could let his guard down, for once. They were safe from the Bergens.

 _… For now._ he allowed the troubled thought, but only for a moment, he was too preoccupied by his current reality to let his old survivalist paranoia fully take hold, all while blissfully unaware that their laughter was shifting dangerously close to silence. Too close. **Too late.**

They were alone again.

_Holy hair, how long can Smidge keep this up? This is craz… wait. Why is it so quiet...? Uh oh… Oh no-oh no-oh- **oh no!!** Uh-uh-uh.. C’mon Say something to her, sticks for brains! Ugh! You’ve only spent THE LAST FEW DAYS ALONE WITH HER and had no problem talking to her then. Aaaaahhhh... _

While Branch’s mind was about to spontaneously combust, it was Poppy who finally broke the prolonged silence. “I can’t believe I finally got to hear your laugh.” she paused, smiling off in the distance before turning to meet his gaze. “You have a nice one.” She concluded. Letting those electric candy eyes linger on serene sky ones for a moment.

 _I do?... She thinks-_ His eyes widened in shock, his mouth tightened. Heat engulfed him as the dark violet blush that flooded his face suddenly, seemed to set off the few glittering freckles he had, like a chain reaction of tiny firecrackers across his cheeks.

_Well now you **have to** say something._

Tourmaline eyes came back for another visit, paralyzing his in the process.

Silence.

 _This is weird. I don’t like this. UGH… Just say it._ He took a moment and swallowed. “I can’t take all the credit, I learned from the best.” He said, holding her gaze. Then, immediately elbowing her to drive his point home, followed by that sarcastic smirk, that could only belong to Branch.

“Awwww! That’s so sweet.” she exclaimed briefly, before regaining her composure. “but nice try!” She shot up an eyebrow. “You can’t just teach someone how to laugh... It’s just something that’s already inside them.” she said, reaching up to ruffle the front part of his recently taller, not to mention more colorful, hair.

The sudden sensation of fingers through his locks, and momentarily touching his scalp, caused Branch to freeze.

 _Does she like my hair? He beamed, cheeks darkening a bit more at the thought. Nah, she’s probably just as weirded out by it as I am._ He scoffed. _Maybe she’s checking to see if it’s real._

He got his bearings again. “Well, either way, it wouldn’t be possible… w-without you.” He managed, eyes darting away from her, sheepishly looking off in the distance, before eventually finding the courage to turn back to her again. The pink fire in her eyes still blazing.

_I wonder if I should... Does she want me to…_

“Wow.” she said, sounding truly in awe.

“Hmm?” he put his previous thought away, wondering and fearing how this moment could get any more perfect.

“I just can’t wrap my hair around it,” she started, eyes on his, and yet somewhere off in ‘cupcakes and rainbows’ land as well. “It’s all just so… surreal I guess.” He listened intently, a patient, albeit perplexed look on his face as she continued. “Like wow!... You’re just soooo genuinely nice, and I just… I just can’t believe, I-I mean… after all this time…”

She leaned a bit into his space, causing him to flinch slightly.

_What’s.. happening?! Is she-_

“that you’d end up being…” her cheeks flushed, and she gently took his hand, pulling him even closer. Branch’s eyes widened.

_OH MY GAH!!_

Poppy’s smile grew wider “… like the greatest friend I could ever have!!” she all but yelled before pulling him into a bone crushing, and almost as equally, soul crushing bear hug.

His breath was lost… for more reasons than one, maybe forever for all he knew.

_**Friend.** _

The moment it took for Branch to pick up the pieces of his heart, felt like an eternity, but eventually, he slowly brought his arms up returning the hug, with understandably less enthusiasm and strength than his captor.

A single word relentlessly looping in his head.

“I... uh.. I.. yeah.” he cleared his throat, brushing it off as best he could. “W-who’d have thought?” he let out a small, strained laugh, doing his best to hide the fact that it was completely forced.

_…Too good to be true… friend… of course just **friends**. … Stupid. How could you be so **STUPID**? Why in the world would you think you’d be something more? **No!** You don’t deserve that… **her**.. not after how you’ve treated her, what you've done. Hugs and pretty new colors don’t right all those wrongs._

_This... this is for the best. You’d probably end up hurting her somehow. **You’re cursed.** _

He steeled, bracing himself for whatever this new hell had to offer. Wanting desperately to just get as far away as possible, but… she was so close to him now, and he found it impossible to pull away.

Not just yet.

**Hell can wait.**

For the moment, he brought his queen closer, hugged a little tighter, savoring paradise for as long as he could. Defying inevitability, if only for now. Being so close allowed Branch an opportunity he did not pass up. With great stealth, he turned his head toward hers, his nose nestling in magenta hair before greedily inhaling her scent. Whether or not she noticed this, she made no mention.

_Why does she have to smell so good? Like, if roses were candy…_

“This is nice.” Poppy hummed and squeezed tighter.

_You have no idea._

“Seeeee, Hugs aren’t so bad.” she teased, eventually breaking the hug, much to his dismay. “Heh, I never said they were.” he said flatly. She deadpanned. Well, as best she could anyway, that smile always betrayed her. “Well you suuure fooled me.” She sassed, unconvinced. His ears started to droop a bit with guilt.

_She has a point._

“It’s uh.. it’s just hard to explain.” He sighed, unable to come up with any other words to help him out. Her expression softened. “Weeell.. maybe you can try explaining it to me sometime.” She offered, earning a smile from him. “Besides, it’s not like you can go running off to your bunker like always, not at the moment anyway.” She pointed out. Realization widened Branch’s eyes.

_Oh. Yeah._

He paled, fear, panic and anxiety threatening to rear their ugly heads. _His old friends._ Always interrupting his life like uninvited guests. He wondered if he’d ever be rid of them. Probably not. One thing was certain though: He _had_ to get outta here!!

His gaze traveled downward and landed on the giant mushroom on which they stood, absentmindedly tracing it’s colorful designs with his eyes. A troll, momentarily forgotten, now resurfacing in his thoughts.

_Smidge._

“Y-yeah.” He fretted, scratching the back of his head. “You know, Smidge is probably starting to get tired.” He deflected “Plus I’m getting kinda dizzy, I think it’s time to head down.. bud.”

_Did I just call her bud?_

“Y-uh.. Yeah! I mean this _is_ Smidge we’re talkin' about here.. but yeah, we _should_ probably go back.” She agreed, the slightest hint of reluctance in her voice. She stared at him for a moment, a playful smirk stretching across her face.

“What?” he questioned, confused.

“Are you _suuure_ you didn’t think hugs were bad? Cuz you use to duck ‘em like they were poisonous snakes.” she smirked. “Like, there were times when we’d pretend to be like.. a Frankenstein version of you, runnin' around shouting _‘HUGS BAD!’_ grrrr _‘SINGING, DANCING BAD!’_ grrr.” She finished in her best monster voice to emphasize the joke.

“Geeee… good to know.” he huffed, rolling his eyes, that familiar sarcastic edge to his words. Poppy’s smile faltered, filling Branch with instant regret.

“Branch, I’m sorry!” she blurted out. “I didn’t mean-“

“No.. I get it.” he interrupted. “I know what I _am_ … _Was_... Whatever.” he sighed. “Alright, brace yourself.” he advised suddenly before loudly stomping down on the mushroom platform three times, figuring that was the best to alert Smidge to start lowering them. He wondered why she even bothered with the gesture in the first place, it’s not like they needed alone time. Why _did_ she do it? She couldn’t be as blind as him.. right?

Poppy just stood there, seemingly ignoring his instructions. A sympathetic look on her face. “Branch, don’t be so hard on yourself.” she comforted, lightly placing her hand on his arm. He pulled up a confident smile for her sake. “It's cool, I’m fine.” He lied.

“WOA- AHH!” he yelped as the platform jerked abruptly, unsteadying them. Instinctively, he grabbed her hand. “Poppy, you okay?” he asked, crouching a bit as the platform started lowering slowly. “All good here! Smidge does this sort of thing a lot.” she laughed.

He chuckled in agreement, postponing the arduous task of trying to piece his life back together after losing everything.

**Again.**

_‘GRANDMAAAAA!!!’_

_‘BRAAAAACNH!!!’_

He winced as voices from his past taunted him. Ghosts haunting his mind. Luckily her sugared voice snapped him out of it. “Hey, so.. uh, being that we’re trolls and all… there’s probably gonna be a party tonight, or some form of celebration...” she hinted.

“Riiight…” he drawled out, confused. “Weeell.. are you gonna come to this one?” she pleaded. He arched an eyebrow, “I suppooose... if it would please _‘Her Majesty’_.” he smirked. Poppy grimaced, her adorable features scrunching up in disgust. “OOOH NO! NOPE-NOPE-NOPE! I _am_ puttin' a stop to that **RIGHT NOW!** ” she threatened as Branch snorted at her lack of an assertive tone. “And yes,” she composed herself. “yes it _would_ please me.” she admitted. “Then I’ll be there.” he returned, with a wink.

She stared dumbfounded for a second before shrieking with joy, causing him to cup his sensitive ears.

Ugh. This was going to be a _looong_ night.

The platform jerked again suddenly as the speed increased, causing Poppy to stumble completely… only to land in Branch’s already prepared arms. She looked up, surprised eyes meeting each other.

Or _was_ it?

Yeah, maybe it wouldn’t _sooo_ bad, he considered as his arms were suddenly cradling the pink queen. It was a nice feeling. That is until that stupid platform jerked once more.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” he screamed as they plummeted due to the downward speed rapidly picking up in pace. Poppy seemed to be taking it with a little more grace than him as they held on to the edges… and each other, trying to endure the rest of their.. now very _direct_ route back to the ground.

“DAAAAAMMIIIT SMIIIIIIIIIDGE!!” he yelled, he was gonna be sick.

_Please don’t throw up on Poppy. Please don’t throw up on Poppy. Please don’t throw up on Poppy._


	2. All that glitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay folks, had some writer's block, plus I had to get a dumb part of this chapter just right. Also my apologies in advance for the first part of this chapter, you'll know why later.

“Braaanch! Come baaack!” he heard Poppy yell from below.

 _Well, that was a complete disaster._ He grimaced as he searched for a secluded spot among the canopy. He shot his hair upward, grabbed a tree limb and catapulted himself even higher up so he could have complete privacy. Seeming satisfied with his surroundings, and seeing no other trolls around, Branch took his vest, which he had balled up under his arm, and draped it on a nearby branch and sat down to dwell over his miserable existence. He really hated leaving Poppy like that. It just wasn’t right… but after what just happened… he cringed just thinking about it. Sure, he hadn’t thrown up on Poppy, but it almost would’ve been better if he _had_.

He glared daggers at his vest as the horrors that transpired only moments ago replayed viciously in his head.

_“Um, Branch?” Poppy asked, concerned. He backed away, trying to protect her, to shield both her eyes and her clothes from… “I think I’m gonna-“ he tried to warn her but was suddenly cut off by his.. stomach contents, which he’d been fighting hard to keep down, but failing horribly as gravity was working against him. In the end all his efforts were futile as he projectiled bits of blueberry and glitter over the edge of the mushroom platform._

_At least… he thought it went over the edge, but as he stared horror stricken as his former meal ominously rose up levitating in mid air, face level, refusing to fall to the ground, he became all too aware that he’d completely overlooked the one variable he shouldn’t have ignored… gravity._

_Gravity had betrayed him, and was now intent on finishing the job as he stared on helplessly as berries and blue glitter began to now catch the sunlight, projecting hundreds of tiny prisms, dotting the platform with little rainbows like some grotesque light show brought on by Hell’s disco ball. Somehow… this moment seemed to sum up all his life’s failures perfectly. He hated how surprisingly spectacular and beautiful this display actually was._

_Poppy was all he could think of as he did his chivalric best to shield his pink queen from the putridness he’d caused, he narrowed his eyes in determination, jumped in front of Poppy and braced himself for whatever came next. He would not fail her now._

_Luckily, the troll tree canopy was rapidly coming into view, and as they plunged through it, the leaves were merciful and granted reprieve, providing them much needed cover. The worst was over it seemed, so he might as well keep it that way and take himself out of the equation before it was too late. He shrugged off his vest, which happened to catch most of the damage, balled it up and tucked it under his arm and locked reluctant eyes with Poppy for a moment “I'm Sorry” he choked, and then he was gone. Being blessed with the super power to be able to spot the nearest exit in almost any situation, he’d launched his hair towards the sky and grapplinged himself up towards the canopy before they passed completely through it._

_“I’ll see you toniiight!” he bellowed down to her._

“Tonight…” Branch snapped out of it. “Uggghh what am I gonna do about _tonight_?!” He anxiously raked his hands through his hair, pulling out a few sapphire strands in the process, grimacing as his eyes landed back on his soiled vest and he groaned.

Damn! Those glittery chunks were gonna haunt him forever.

_At least the leaves caught most of the liquid shrapnel, if it’d showered down on the rest of them…? They never would’ve let me live that one down._

Branch gave the vest a final appraising look. Honestly it wasn’t stained as bad as he’d previously thought, just a few translucent blue glittery patches along the bottom edge, but there was no way he could wear _that_ to the celebration tonight! He had to think of something.

“What am I gonna do?” he sighed. He could probably manage to find someplace to clean it, but would it be dry in time? Branch wasn’t sure, but sitting here moping wasn’t going to get him anywhere. _I wonder how the pods have held up over the years? Maybe they’ll be supplies and water to clean my vest in one of them._ He thought as he scanned the pods in his vicinity, they all looked vacant and lonely from years of disuse.

His eyes traveled up to the next level of pods above, where there was one pod Branch knew like the back of his hand… but..

 _NO… not yet._ Branch just couldn’t bring himself to walk through that door again, not right now. He needed time to prepare himself. A day. A week. Ten years perhaps? Who knows? One thing was for sure though, he couldn’t go there today, no, he needed all of his strength for today.

He rubbed the mist that began to form in his eyes, and trudged on in the direction of the nearest pod. Upon reaching it he went to inspect the water collection system for this particular pod. Still worked. There was water, It wouldn’t do for drinking just yet without proper filtration but it looked clean enough to wash the shame from his vest, so he got to work.

After that unpleasant chore, Branch looked down at himself, grimaced and began to ponder a solution to his next dilemma. He scratched his head for a moment before going wide eyed when the obvious dawned on him.

_The twins!_

 

* * *

 

 

He found them exactly where he figured they’d be, at the base of the troll tree with the new queen and the rest of the Snack Pack. That crown really suited her, and he found himself staring in awe of her for a moment. The former king Peppy wasn’t too far off, and was addressing the obvious current concerns of his people, Poppy looked to be doing the same. Most likely trying to figure out sleeping arrangements for tonight, or beyond. This gave him the perfect opportunity to discreetly get their attention, luckily they were chatting amongst themselves close by.

From his hiding spot behind one of the tree’s large roots he snaked his hair towards them, which he forked into two points so he could tap their shoulders simultaneously.

The twins eyed each other in confusion at feeling the taps, then slowly turned their heads in the direction of the source. Seeing nothing, they shrugged at each other, then suddenly heard a “Pssssssst” coming from that big moss covered root they sat near.

They followed the source, only to find… “Branch?” Chenille questioned. Satin and Chenille hopped over the root to see him properly.

“H-hey guys.” Branch greeted.

“Hey boy blue.” Satin returned. “Where’s your vest?“ the twins asked curiously.

“Boy blue?” he repeated and squinted at them suspiciously, that is until he glanced down at himself and remembered that was in fact _blue_.

_Oh._

“Did you forget?” they asked in unison, giggling. Branch just stood there silent, which brought the giggling to a halt.

He finally looked up at them. “Uh, it’s.. an adjustment.” He admitted, then abruptly asked “Can we go somewhere more private to talk?”

Now it was Satin and Chenille’s turn to do the suspicious eyeing, but they ultimately gave in. “Uhhh..” Satin started, “..yeah sure.” Chenille finished, and then Branch pointed up to a hollow looking moss covered burl that was just above them, and he offered out his hands to them.

“Thank you,” Chenille said, “but we _got this_.” Satin assured, confidently side eying her sister. All Branch could do was stand back and marvel at what could only be described as some sort of slingshot leapfrog maneuver into the burl preformed effortlessly by the twins, before launching his own hair out and following them up.

Once inside and safe from prying eyes and ears, Branch turned to face them, and searched for the right words to use.

“Alright, spill.” The twins demanded, cutting to the chase. “And where’s your vest?” Satin asked.

“Poppy.. didn’t tell you?” he asked, shocked. _How could she not have told them?_

“Tell us what?” they puzzled.

“Why _I left_ …?” he coaxed.

“All she said was you had to do an emergency canopy safety check.” Satin explained, “And no one batted an eye.” Chenille deadpanned, and they crossed their arms in tandem.

 _That's brilliant! Thanks Poppy, I owe you one… Awwww man! Why didn’t I do an emergency canopy safety check?! What’s wrong with me? What was I thinking?!_ “Stupid vest.” He muttered under his breath. _Maybe there’s still time to do one after this._

“Huh?” they asked

“Uhh I said my stupid vest, it uh, it snagged and tore while I was doing.. the safety check.” He lied, “So.. um… I was wondering, ya know if maybe um-“ he struggled.

“Say no more sweetie.” Satin cut him off, already knowing where this going, and Branch was relieved he didn’t have to finish the sentence.

_Wait? Did she just call me sweetie? I mean, I guess I haven’t really been much of an ass lately but.. still.. weird._

“Look, I uh, realize you two probably don’t have many supplies.” He started.

“Pfft we didn’t with Bridget either, and looked how she turned out fab." Chenille pointed out, immediately high fiving her sister after.

Branch snorted a little at that. “Honestly, it could be another leaf vest for all I care, just so long as I don't have to show up shirtless to the celebration tonight, cuz we all know there’s going to be one.” he said.

The twins had a look of bewilderment on their faces before Satin spoke up. “Branch, you do realize that a quarter or so of our community is made up of glitter trolls, right?” she argued, raising an eyebrow. “Not to mention a lot of others seem to have no problem with that whole 'one strap overalls' trend.” Chenille added, rolling her eyes in sync with her sister, and shuddered at the thought of wearing overalls. "Do you really think anyone cares?” they said together.

Branch shifted uncomfortably where he stood. “I just…” he trailed off, not knowing how to finish, how could he explain?

“Besides… you’re not exactly…” Chenille interjected, “..hard on the eyes, you know” Satin finished. “Poppy might..  _dig it_.” They added, causing Branch’s cheeks to grow more lavender at what they were implying, and he scoffed at the very idea.

_Yeah right._

“What?” Satin asked, confused.

“Nothing.” he said firmly, yet unconvincingly. “Soooo..” he said, drawing the word out as a means to change the subject. He stood up more confidently, a smug expression appearing on his face as he looked at them. “are you two really trying to tell me you'd rather pass up the chance to design something?” he smirked, “For _me_ of all trolls?” he finished with a raised eyebrow, crossing his arms.

_C’mon, take the bait.._

“Whoa whoa whoa wait!” Chenille yelped, panic clearly visible in her raspberry eyes.

_Yes!_

“Now hold up, that’s not what we said!” Satin chimed in, “Yeah we are just stating facts is all.” Chenille added.

_Uh huh… suuuure._

“Annnnyways, so are you in?” he asked, even though he knew the bait was long gone.

“Duh!” the girls exclaimed.

“Alright, cool um, thanks you guys, do you need me to get anything?” he inquired.

“No need, since troll hair is moth resistant, there’s probably all we’ll need up in the canopy.” Chenille stated matter of factly, “Unless of course it didn't pass that safety check of yours.” She winked.

 _Smartasses._ They were growing on him already.

“Knowing Branch, he’d come back bringing us all flannel felt anyway.” Satin giggled.

“Ha ha.” he deadpanned, “Well then, lead on ladies.” a smile tugging at his lips.

“What color scheme you thinking?” Satin began enthusiastically as they started to make their way out of the mossy burl and up towards the canopy to look for suitable materials.

“It doesn’t matter.” He answered honestly, and the twins gasped almost offended. “Ok fine, well nothing too flashy or bright enough to be eye searing I guess, I dunno, you two are the fashion experts here.. not me. Just do what you think is best.” he told them.

Eager grins began to take over their faces, making Branch understandably nervous. “You really think we’re fashion experts?!” they beamed.

“Suddenly I’m regretting this decision.” he groaned.

“Oh hush!” Chenille jested, “And try to stay out of our way.” Satin smirked.

“ _Rude_.” he scoffed sarcastically, following after them.

“Get a load of _this_.” Satin remarked to her sister, pointing at Branch. “Branch… calling _us_ rude, I know right?” Chenille teased, and all three of them ended up sharing a laugh.

“Fair enough, I deserve that.” He chuckled

“What about glitter?!” Chenille gushed excitedly, “Yeah do you want glitter?!” Satin squealed as well.

“ **NO!** ” Branch all but yelled, the twins looked puzzled by his seemingly unprovoked reaction. He cleared his throat and tried again. “No glitter, please.” he begged.

“Suit yourself.” the girls shrugged, “Can we at least make you new shorts too?” Chenille suggested, and Satin looked at him with pleading turquoise eyes.

Branch sighed in defeat. “Ok, fine.” He had a bad feeling about this.

“Oh, and Branch?” Satin began.

“Yeah?” he worried.

“You know we’re not making you another leaf vest right?” Satin informed.

“I figured as much” he smirked.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an interesting chapter to write to say the least. Here's a shout out to dragonnmr for helping me feel better about the way I approached the flashback scene. I did not subject her to reading that gross silliness, but I asked questions about ways in which I should approach it, thank you for the help. Hopefully I did ok.


	3. Playing dress up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry for the delay folks. This chapter was kinda weird for me in spots plus life got in the way. This chapter is longer than my previous chapters, and the beginning is some of chapter 1 but from Poppy's point of view.

“I still don’t get the whole socks with no shoes thing.” Branch said, breaking the silence.

 _Huh?.. Socks with no-_ Poppy stared at Branch confused, until her eyes drifted in the direction the cloud guy had plummeted, and realization quickly took hold.

_Oh...Why is he so hung up on the socks? One of life’s great mysteries I guess. Hmmm, …if I were a cloud…?_

She mulled over the unusual statement before slyly shooting back with “Well, if you’re up in the sky most of the time… Why would you need shoes?“

“Huh.” Branch thought aloud, “I guess when you put it like that…” he said with a half smile, fully accepting her answer, no strings attached.

_That's it?? …No bickering? No sarcastic remark? No brooding scowl? Maybe I’m dead, maybe we never made it out of that Bergen pot, that has to be the only explanation.._

Poppy giggled at her speeding freight train of thoughts, and Branch even joined in on the laughter.

_Wow, how ‘bout that.._

Lost in amusing thoughts, Poppy wasn’t completely aware that the laughter had died down, leaving them cloaked in silence. Branch’s smile faltered, a look of panic and growing concern taking it’s place. He looked like he was trying to solve some complicated equation.

_Whoa, settle down there Branch, no need to panic. Maybe.. maybe I better say something._

“I can’t believe I finally got to hear your laugh.” she said, staring off in the distance, shattering the unwanted silence. She turned back to the teal-blue troll, meeting his gaze and momentarily mesmerized by the crystal waters of his eyes she concluded with “You have a nice one.”

_Should I have said that?! I shouldn’t have said that! ..No! He has a nice laugh, so I’m just being honest right? It would’ve been rude not to say it.. right?_

Branch’s cheeks seemed to darken and sparkle a bit upon hearing the compliment. A beautiful display indeed.

_Is he blushing?_

“I can’t take all the credit, I learned from the best.” he smirked, lightly elbowing her to further emphasize his meaning

 _AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!_  

“Awwww! That’s so sweet.” she chirped before regaining her composure. “but nice try!” She shot up an eyebrow. “You can’t just teach someone how to laugh... It’s just something that’s already inside them.” she stated matter of factly. Then suddenly, she got an uncontrollable urge to reach up and playfully ruffle the shock of his dark blue mane.

_So dark.. and so blue, it deserves it’s own color name… like midnight sapphire. Yes! That’s it! ..Come to think of it, his natural coloring is just as unique, not quite sky blue, not quite an aqua, no, more like warm tropical waters. Wow his hair is sooo soft too.. oh butternuts, I probably should’ve asked first before I just started ruffin' up his ‘do', you know how he is about boundaries._

She drew her hand back and relinquished the blue enigma, leaving Branch with an expression she couldn’t quite place, he wasn’t upset, no, but Poppy still had no idea what was going through his mind. He briefly smoothed the his hair back in place and remained silent for a moment.

“Well, either way, it wouldn’t be possible… w-without you.” he finally said, but wouldn’t meet her eyes.

_I shouldn’t have done that… now he won’t even look at me. Way to go Poppy!_

Then, he turned back to lock eyes with her once more, and Poppy found herself lost in this unexpected moment, unsure of how to find her way back to reality. Reality was overrated anyway. All she could say was “Wow.”

“Hmm?” he asked, sounding lost in thought.

“I just can’t wrap my hair around it,” she stated honestly, holding his gaze. “It’s all just so… surreal I guess.” she went on, basically rambling at this point, while Branch just listened patiently. “Like wow!... You’re just soooo genuinely nice, and I just… I just can’t believe, I-I mean… after all this time…” She scanned her brain for words to help her properly describe this phenomenon, she inched closer… he flinched. “that you’d end up being…” her cheeks flushed, and she gently took his hand, pulling him even closer. Branch’s eyes widened dramatically, making him look like a drummie deer caught in the light of a bright glitter beam. She would’ve found this funny, had it not slightly rattled her.

_Maybe I should tone it down a bit._

A smile bloomed on her face, an uneasy one, but it was masterfully concealed within a brighter, far more Poppy-eque one. One that her village was more accustomed to. “… like the greatest friend I could ever have!!” she blurted loudly, before pulling the poor guy into an abrupt, slightly aggressive hug.

_Whew! Crisis averted… Oh! Oh dang it Poppy! Boundaries! Release him! Release him immediately!_

Surprisingly though, Branch slowly began returning the hug, and Poppy could’ve sworn she felt him shudder, just a bit.

_Aww, poor guy’s probably not use to hugs yet._

  
“I... uh.. I.. yeah.” he squeaked, seeming lost for words. “W-who’d have thought?” he let out a small, unnatural laugh. They stood there for a long moment, before Branch suddenly pulled her closer, and squeezed a little tighter, he even seemed to nuzzle her hair slightly.

_Did he just.. smell my hair? Oh sprinkles I hope not! I probably don’t smell too nice after the adventure we just had. Wow, for someone who doesn’t hug.. he’s pretty good at it._

They lingered like this a moment longer, then as is usually the case, Poppy broke the silence. “This is nice.” she hummed, briefly hugging a little tighter.

_Alright, this is heaven._

“Seeeee, Hugs aren’t so bad.” Poppy jested, breaking the hug.

“Heh, I never said they were.” he replied dryly.

She put on her best deadpan expression, which still included a smile “Well you suuure fooled me.” She sassed, unconvinced. At hearing this Branch’s ears began to droop.

“It’s uh.. it’s just hard to explain.” he sighed.

He looked sad. Lost. Her expression softened instantly “Weeell.. maybe you can try explaining it to me sometime.” She offered, he smiled slightly. “Besides, it’s not like you can go running off to your bunker like always, not at the moment anyway.” She pointed out, causing a dramatic increase in the size of Branch’s eyes

_Oops! Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that…_

He was silent for a long moment. “Y-yeah.” he fretted, scratching the back of his head. “You know, Smidge is probably starting to get tired.”

_Pfffft! Try telling Smidge that._

“Plus I’m getting kinda dizzy, I think it’s time to head down.. bud.” he added.

_**Bud**??! …Really? I mean, we’re totally friends and all.. but that's just.. not right._

It was just a word, one that she’d heard often in her life, but hearing him say it, for some reason put a foul taste in her mouth, strange considering she’s not the one who said the word. “Y-uh.. Yeah! I mean this _is_ Smidge we’re talkin' about here.. but yeah, we _should_ probably go back.” She agreed, reluctantly as stared at him for a moment, a playful smirk stretching across her face.

“What?” he questioned, confused.

“Are you _suuure_ you didn’t think hugs were bad? Cuz you use to duck ‘em like they were poisonous snakes.” she teased. “Like, there were times when we’d pretend to be like.. a Frankenstein version of you, runnin' around shouting _‘HUGS BAD!’_ grrrr _‘SINGING, DANCING BAD!’_ grrr.” she concluded in a monster-esque voice that was still a few octaves too high for the scary range.

“Geeee… good to know.” he scoffed, rolling his eyes, his words laced with sarcasm, making him sound more like the Branch she was use to… this isn’t good she thought as her smile faltered.

_No no no no! Say something!_

“Branch, I’m sorry!” she cried. “I didn’t mean-“

“No.. I get it.” he cut her off, “I know what I _am_ … _w_ _as_... _whatever._ ” he sighed. “Alright, brace yourself.” he advised suddenly before loudly stomping down on the mushroom platform three times. Likely trying to get away from this situation… _from me_.

_Oh Branch.._

She just stood there, ignoring his instructions for the moment, sympathetic to the underlying tone in his voice. “Branch, don’t be so hard on yourself.” she pleaded, gently placing her hand on his arm, hoping to shake him out of his current funk.

“It's cool, I’m fine.” he smiled back. A fake one at that. Now, Poppy may have _just_ been crowned queen… _like that very day_ , but she’s always been the ‘queen of smiles’, and a false one in her presence isn’t likely to slip under her radar, but before she could say anything, the mushroom platform suddenly jerked, unsteadying them. “WOA- AHH!” he bellowed, in a typical Branch-like reaction to surprising situations, but still had the frame of mind to grab her hand to steady her. “Poppy, you okay?” he asked, concerned, as the platform started to descend.

“All good here! Smidge does this sort of thing a lot.” she brushed it off with a laugh, and Branch even joined in. “Hey, so.. uh, being that we’re trolls and all… there’s probably gonna be a party tonight, or some form of celebration...” she hinted.

“Riiight…” he drawled out, seeming confused and possibly a tad annoyed.

“Weeell.. are you gonna come to this one?” she asked, perhaps a bit too desperately.

“I suppooose... if it would please _‘Her Majesty’._ ” he smirked, smugly arching an eyebrow, causing Poppy to cringe.

“OOOH NO! NOPE-NOPE-NOPE! I _am_ puttin' a stop to that **RIGHT NOW**!” she asserted, and Branch just chortled at her best attempt to sound threatening. “And yes,” she dropped the act and cleared her throat. “yes it _would_ please me.” she admitted.

“Then I’ll be there.” he said, with a wink and that half-smile of his.

A simple wink was all it took to have Poppy to stare dumbfounded, cheeks heating up, and have her wanting to burst into a fit of giggles… _buuuut_ quickly snapped out of it and instead disguised her giddy energy by shrieking with joy at his answer. Branch swiftly covered his ears and winced due to close proximity of said shrieking.

  
The platform suddenly jerked again as it picked up speed, and Poppy actually stumbled this time… but was immediately caught by Branch's strong arms. Like it was nothing, like he anticipated it... other than the fact that he looked as surprised as she was when they locked eyes with each other.

_Hello blue eyes… are they bluer now than they were before?_

Then the platform jerked yet again, “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! DAAAAAMMIIIT SMIIIIIIIIIDGE!!” he screamed as they plummeted back towards the ground, all the while Poppy tried not to laugh at his dramatics, it was going to be hard though.

 

* * *

 

Poor Branch, he was so brave to shield Poppy from the glittering blue vomit shower that rained down around them, not caring about himself, only her. As soon as they were almost past the safety of the canopy though.. he threw off his vest, balled it up, putting it under his arm and slowly turned to face her with sad eyes and blush painting his cheeks and ears. Poppy was speechless, all she could do was stare wide eyed at the shirtless troll in front of her. She’d be lying if she said she’d never stolen a glance or two of this sight before, either on hot days or when everyone was swimming.. but to be up close to this uncharacteristic and mystifying sight seemed to leave her vocal chords momentarily paralyzed.

“I’m sorry,” Branch strained, his voice and misty eyes snapping her thoughts back to reality. She tried to find her words, ones that would reassure him, but it was too late… he was already gone. Having shot out his hair to grab a passing tree limb, Branch had hightailed it out of there and appeared to be retreating to the canopy, leaving her all alone.

“I’ll see you toniiight!” she heard Branch shout to her from above.

She couldn’t blame him but she was saddened to see him go. “Braaanch! Come baaack!” Poppy yelled out to him, even though she knew it was futile. “Please come back.” she quietly pleaded to ears that couldn't hear her. 

_Great… just great._

 

* * *

 

  
For the first time in a great while, Poppy felt the oncoming dread of the countless eyes that would soon be upon her… and they would undoubtedly notice the _missing troll_ who had just been at her side. She wasn’t looking forward to this.

_Whelp… here goes nothin’._

To her bewilderment though, most of the crowd didn’t seem to be directly tracking her with their gaze. Sure, some glanced up but many looked to be occupied with their own problems.

_Oh.. yeah, this is all on me now. They’re going to be expecting a plan aren’t they..?_

_… Crap._

“Welcome back sweetheart!” her father warmly greeted as he walked closer to her. “.. You know, I may just need glasses, but you seem to be missing someone.” Peppy added, lovingly poking fun at his daughter.

“The kiss wasn’t _that_ bad was it?” she heard Cooper blurt out nearby, before being promptly shushed by the nearest members of the Snack Pack.

_The WHAAA-_

“Uhhh da I-I uh, I mean he, Branch, um Branch had to uh.. do an emergency canopy safety check… yep.” she awkwardly fibbed.

“Ah, yes, good good.” her father said, accepting her answer. Her friends on the other hand, didn’t look so sure but otherwise remained silent. “Poppy, you’re our queen now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come to me.. should you ever feel overwhelmed you know.” Peppy gave with a wink.

“I know dad, and I will.” she paused, a temporary plan forming in her mind. “Given our current situation.. why don’t we just spend the night here, and figure everything out in the morning? There’s plenty of pods and room in the tree.” the new queen suggested. “The only issue I see is food.. “ she worried.

“That shouldn’t be much of an issue.” Peppy laughed. “Even with the vast supplies in Branch’s bunker, I still insisted folks pack any essentials… and you know how we trolls are..” he hinted.

“Essentially... we’re all about food!” Poppy added without missing a beat, and shared in a pure and hearty laugh with her dad. “So we should be ok, even with the celebration tonight, as I'm sure there’ll be one.” Poppy winked

“Without question.” Peppy chuckled “Alright, if you need me, I’ll be around, I love you sweetheart.” he smiled, before pulling her into a warm fatherly hug.

“Ok dad, I love you too.” she returned, squeezing him tightly back before letting him go. With things partially figured out for the moment, she decided a short break was in order, and walked towards her friends, who seemed waaay to eager too talk to her.

_Uh oh…_

“Ok you guys are kinda creepin’ me out with all the staring, what’s up?” Poppy cut to the chase.

“Weeeeell…..?” asked Suki, with a big, toothy grin.

“Um.. well, you see, Branch had to do an emergency canop-“ She began.

“No no! Not that!” Chenille interrupted

“How was it?” Satin asked, hinting at some detail Poppy wasn’t aware of.

“How.. was what?” Poppy asked, a little confused. They couldn’t possibly mean…

Biggie looked as if he were trying to contain a fit of giggles, judging by the way he kept covering his mouth with his hands. He lowered them for a moment “..The kiss!” he said, giggling and quickly covering his mouth again. His strange little pet worm Mr. Dinkles let out a tiny “Mew”, and seemed equally enthused as his owner.

Poppy was at a loss for words, mouth agape, staring wide eyed at her friends. She eventually tried to string together a few words, but it came out as gibberish and quickly shifted into eerily happy laughter, resulting in some mild looks of concern from the snack pack. “… Hehe the.. the what?.” she finally managed.

“C’mon Popps, don’t hold ou- _uu_ -uu- _ut_ on us.” Guy begged, in his usual auto-tuned laced voice, while sporting big puppy dog eyes. Fuzzbert hopped and grunted with excitement next to him.

“What are you talking about? Hold out on what? We di-… we… didn’t um.. _you know_ … “ Poppy confessed to them. “Why... do you think he would?” she asked her friends, genuinely curious of their opinions.

“OH, FOR THE LOVE OF **FELT** POPPY!” Smidge snapped at her angrily in her deep booming voice, while throwing her arms up, then promptly storming off in a huff.

“What? What’d I do?!” Poppy called out to her, then confusedly looked to her remaining friends for help.

Biggie just shook his head and said “Oh, Poppy.. “ in a tragic sort of tone.

“What?” Poppy shrugged. “Ok, I probably gotta go answer some questions the troll village may have for me right now, but you all are acting weird so… we’re comin' back to this later.” she gestured at all of them.

“Oh, we’re _definitely_ coming back to this!” Cooper avowed.

“Yeah, this isn’t over.” Suki added.

“Oookay then, I’ll see you guys later” Poppy said. After waving bye to her friends, and adjusting her new crown, she headed towards the majority of her village to address the plan for tonight.

_I hope he does show up tonight._

 

* * *

 

 “Are you _sure_ this isn’t overdoing it for tonight?” Branch worried.

  
“You don’t like it?” Satin and Chenille began to pout in unison.

“Wh- Oh no! No, it’s not that at all. It’s actually incredible.. but isn’t this maybe.. too much? I’ll be the only troll there with anything this fancy, they’ll still be in the clothes they wore when they left my bunker, trolls will.. _stare_ at me.” he went on as he looked himself over in the mirror that was in the abandoned pod they were using.

“I doubt that most will be wearing the same clothes, if they were told to hide out in your bunker, it’s likely most have at least fives changes of clothes packed in their hair already.” Chenille pointed out.

“Plus, some of us pack like that anyway.” Satin hinted, “ You never know when you might need a wardrobe change.” she added, causing her sister to giggle.

He cracked a smile at the sassy twins, “Why am I not surprised?” he japed and rolled his eyes, then returned his attention to the mirror.. and the saturated stranger in stunning new attire staring back at him. It was jarring to say the least, seeing his likeness with a troll’s proper complexion. Periodically he would wiggle his fingers or twitch an ear, as if to make sure it was actually him. This odd display didn’t go unnoticed by the two sisters.

“Branch?” the girls spoke softly, looks of concern adorning their faces.

“Huh..? Oh, sorry, thought I heard something.” he lied, instinctively brushing them off. “This.. _Is_ , really amazing guys.” he spoke honestly as he studied his reflection again, and his new clothes. Branch relished the feel of his new green vest, similar in color and shape to his old one… only _better_. This one was decked out in silver zippers, pockets and stitches and had a rebellious punk look to it, It’s folded collar and edges were studded for added flare. The caramel hued pinstriped shorts were equally stunning in their own right, with notched and frayed edges on the legs, and a royal purple spiked belt complete with a silver troll skull buckle tied the whole outfit together perfectly, heck even the vest had a skull emblem on the back. The whole outfit really complimented his color… his.. _color_ , that... was definitely gonna take some getting used to, but Branch was confidently feeling up to the challenge.

“We knew you’d love it!” the sisters beamed. “It really suits you.” Satin added. “Any last chance of convincing you to wear the matching skull shoes?” Chenille tried.

“As great as they are… I’m just not a shoe guy, at least not for dancing anyway.” he smirked.

“What about the skull hair accessory?” Satin reminded, offering the purple felt skull to him.

“I’ll think about it.” he said evenly, accepting the hair ornament from her, and tucking into his tresses for later, should he decide to wear it.

Chenille then whispered to her sister, Branch’s sensitive ears could only make out one word.

_Glitter._

… This _couldn’t_ be good _._

They eyed each other and then Branch, causing him to gulp. “One more thing, you blue grump,” Satin began, and he winced. “We know you said no glitter, but… “ she started, “we have the best idea for you!” Chenille finished. Then both troll girls began to beg. “Pleeeeeaaaase!”

He deadpanned, huffed, but gave up. “Okay, fine!” he barked, and the twins danced excitedly in place, until he continued. “But, if I hate it… I’m not doing it!” he informed.

“Well duh!” Chenille sassed back without a worry, and then directed him to a nearby chair so Satin and her could work their magic.

Branch cracked a little smile, “Thank you, I.. I really _do_ owe you guys one.” he admitted, as he sat down to let the twins do.. whatever they were planning.

“You’re kidding right?! I mean, obviously you’re welcome, but Branch.. _you_ don’t owe us anything.” Satin assured.

“Well, I haven’t exactly been the _nicest_ troll in the past… ever.” he scoffed, more to himself.

“Yeah, but you _saved_ us.” Satin marveled as she began to rummage through her and Chenille’s shared hair to find the supplies she was looking for.

“ **I _what_**?! What are you talking about?” he coughed, thoroughly confused.

“Um.. hello? Back there in _the pot_.” Chenille pointed out while she helped Satin organize their supplies they’d just pulled out from their hair, it appeared to be locks of glitter troll hair, in varying colors.

“What? No. No that, that was Poppy. She’s the one who befriended Bridget, and Bridget in turn decided to save us. _I_ didn’t do anything.” he insisted

“But… you brought her colors back!” the girls encouraged, setting aside some blue and silver locks and putting the rest away.

Branch opened his mouth but quickly shut it again for a moment.

_And I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you realize the world’s not all ‘Cupcakes and Rainbows’…_

He sniffed and fought back tears of guilt at recalling his venom from the past. “Maybe, but she probably wouldn’t have faded without me dragging her happiness down every step of the way.” he sighed.

“Hey, hey stop it Branch!” Chenille snapped, grabbed his face and turned him so he was now facing the mirror wide eyed looking at himself and the twins. “That was all Creek! He _did_ that. You know that right?” Chenille asked concerned. He stared at himself and them unsure, but remained silent.

“We _all_ lost hope Branch… all accept _you_.” Satin noted, gently tugging his right ear, which caused him to smile slightly. “Yeah, you _refused_ to accept it, you _wouldn’t_ give up… You essentially _became_ Poppy in order to bring her back.” Chenille declared, with a tug on his left ear, forcing his smile to grow a little more.

“Alright alright, you've made your point. Although she was probably just happy that I was finally acting like a troll for once.” he scoffed. “Hey, what’s with the glitter troll hair?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh this? Well, since your fab new outfit has some glitz and glam..” Satin began, “..We were thinking that your hair should too.” Chenille finished the sentence. Branch just sat there silent, his eyes widening rapidly. “Not your whole head silly.” Chenille reassured. “Just an accent streak.” Satin clarified. This seemed to relieve him a bit.

Branch braced himself for the potential unknown horrors to come. “…Okay.” he finally gave in, and with his unenthused approval, the twins began their task, rather giddily he noted. Having someone touch his hair like this definitely wasn’t something he was used to, but he'd lying if he said he didn’t like the feeling. Satin began applying the faux streaks to the tresses by his right temple, the hair they chose matched his hair almost perfectly, maybe a slightly lighter blue than his own. “Who’s hair is that?” he asked casually.

Satin paused for a moment in thought, “Lapis' I think.” she finally said. “Yep, definitely Lapis, she’s got those pretty gold sparkles along with blue ones.” Chenille concurred after examining the locks.

He nodded, vaguely recalling the dark blue troll with the gold nose. Then, a few silver glittering strands in Chenille’s hand suddenly grabbed his attention. “Is that _Guy’s_ hair?” he asked, glancing at Chenille with an arched brow.

Chenille looked at the hair and grinned, “Does it _matter_?” she sassed back.

“..No, I guess not.” Branch smirked, and Satin took the silver strands from her sister’s offering hand, then applied just a few of them as highlights over the new sparkly blue streak he now had. The twins finished up by fluffing up and styling his hair back to it’s natural form.

“There.. now it’s almost like you have stars in your hair, adds a little _pop_ , don’t think Branch?” Satin gushed, admiring her work.

He took in the sight of his new glitter streak, it _did_ go with the outfit really well, he just hoped that it didn’t look like some stowaway vomit he missed. “Umm… I, like it. It’s subtle but eye catching.” he agreed.

“Kinda like you.” Chenille said honestly, and Satin giggled.

“ **What**?” Branch puzzled.

“I said **_AHH-CHOO_**!” Chenille deadpanned, causing her sister to snort this time. Branch said nothing, just slowly turned to face the mirror again, shrugging off the odd remark, then noticed Satin staring at him with an appraising look.

“Now what?” he groaned, dreading the answer.

“I'm just.. wondering if it’s _too_ subtle?” Satin worried

Branch immediately rolled his eyes. “I’m not dusting my cheeks with glitter blush too if that’s what you what.” he gruffly informed.

“A little _too_ late for that ‘Mr. Tough Guy’.” Chenille chimed in, and Branch quickly observed his reflection again and only now really noticed that he did in fact have a slight dusting of glitter freckles high on his cheeks. Upon noticing this forgotten detail about himself, he shot Chenille a side eyed glare but smirked after a moment, I mean _what_ could he really do? Looking back at the glittering hair weft, he instantly had an idea.

“ _What If_ …?” he began, then a thin strip of Branch’s sapphire hair that was staggered slightly behind the glitter streak suddenly shifted to it’s former black color. The bold new lowlight really made the sparkles _pop_. He sat back and looked to Satin and Chenille for their approval.

“Ooooh that’s **perfect**!” the girls exclaimed, “Very you.” Satin added. “Definitely edgy, I think you’re ready!” Chenille put in, and a proud smile began slowly creeping across Branch’s face. “And Branch? You’ve done more for everyone than you realize… even if Bridget freed us, who knows if Poppy would’ve gotten her colors back without _you_.” Satin insisted. “Yeah, she might’ve stayed gray for weeks or longer, we don’t know what might’ve happened.. and thanks to you, we don’t have to.” Chenille said with a wink. He didn’t really know what to say to that, he supposed it was true, but part of him wasn’t so sure.

“Uh, thanks. Both of you for, for everything.” he awkwardly managed.

“Glad we could help.” Chenille said. “Yeah, it was fun playing ‘dress up’, even though it would’ve been perfectly acceptable if you showed up to the party without a vest at all.” Satin laughed.

“HA!” he scoffed, “I think I prefer this more. I'll see you guys later.” he shot back and started heading towards the pod door.

“Later!” the twins chirped.

“Hey Branch?” Chenille called, and he stopped and turned back to her. “Back when we helped Bridget out on her date… how’d you come up with all that _pretty poetry_ on the fly like that?” Chenille hinted with an arch of her brow.

“What? A troll _can’t_ have books?” Branch lied with slight devious smile, and with that the teal blue troll exited the pod door, and just hoped his new found sense of pride would stay with him… at least until the celebration was over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! Sorry if the hair applying process was kinda vague but I didn't feel like adding it to the scene, idk it messed with the flow groove of the scene. However if you're curious about it, just know that it involved a tiny velcro-like system at the base of the hair weft/streak, and some temporary hair glue for the added Guy Diamond highlights over top the main weft. Also if you're confused about why I didn't just have Branch try and use his own hair changing abilities for the glitter streak? While yes, I believe the trolls can probably render glitter, I felt it was easier this way. The girls are artists and have a certain vision which they might not have been able to explain properly to Branch. Plus it's a fun scene.


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